WORLD 
Manchester swamp-rock / postpunk outfit Inca Babies are back after a 7-year hiatus. They may be older now and they may also have a lot else on the go (every band member is also involved in multiple other musical projects), but one thing is for sure – they have all the drive and spunk of an adrenaline-filled 30-something viper rocker. November brings the release of their much-anticipated long-player – their eighth studio album in fact. Titled ‘Swamp Street Soul’, we are pleased to present the premiere of the record’s lead track ‘Walk In The Park’.
Having gone through various incarnations, today Inca Babies is a trio made up of Harry Stafford (guitar, keys, vocals), bassist Vince Hunt (A Witness, Blue Orchids) and Rob Haynes (The Membranes, Goldblade) on drums and percussion. Seven years ago, the Incas released the final album in their Death Blues Trilogy, which includes ‘Death Message Blues’ (2010), ‘Deep Dark Blue’ (2012) and ‘The Stereo Plan’ (2014). Inca Babies’ story began in 1983, releasing their first album in 1984 through their own label Black Lagoon Records (still doing it today too). A vibrant part of Britain’s early postpunk / goth /death rock scene, they amassed a steady following through touring and by releasing a further six singles and four albums over the next five years, all of which entered the UK Indie Charts. They also recorded four sessions for BBC’s legendary John Peel show between 1984 and 1988 before calling it quits that year. Thank goodness they’re back.
‘Walk In the Park’ is not as dark as you might expect it to be, hailing from the very same same breeding ground that spawned such bands as Joy Division, The Membranes, New Order, The Smiths, The Durutti Column, Buzzocks, The Fall, Magazine and A Certain Ratio. In fact, ‘ Walk In The Park’ is surprisingly light with a cool swagger and at-times nonchalant vocal layered over a bluesy rock composition. The video sees frontman Harry Stafford galavanting through Didsbury Park. Filmed one sunny morning in September by Harry Stafford and Vince Hunt, it is a fun-loving glimpse into a part of Manchester that doesn’t immediately come to mind for most people from elsewhere. The lyrics that appear on the screen are a nice frill too. Not sure if anybody else sees the resemblance between Stafford and Ian McCullogh of Echo & The Bunnymen.
‘Swamp Street Soul’ takes us across a tightly euphoric path of differing moods and new arenas of guitar songwriting. This long-player continues the band’s explosive exploration of goth-punk and death-rock and trash blues with epic cautionary ballads. Frontman Harry Stafford has written a fulsome collection of tall tales of madness, fearfully larger-than-life characters and extravagant yarns, backed by a no-nonsense rhythm section locked into a pounding backbeat. Produced by Simon ‘Ding’ Archer(The Fall, PJ Harvey) at 6Db Studios, the clarity and fullness of sound on this new album surpasses that of any previous Inca release. This 11-track offering includes a re-visitation of ‘Crawling Garage Gasoline’, originally released on the ‘Surfin’ in Locustland’ EP back in 1985 and also recorded for the Incas’ third John Peel session in June that year.
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“Having had some time away from the Inca Babies (I have released three solo albums, all piano and jazz blues based), it was important that I got back to the rudiments of my original inspiration of Post-punk Guitar Rock. On this album ‘Swamp Street Soul’, I think I have had an invaluable opportunity to achieve this by using all the inspiration I’ve picked up from my solo journey. Despite not being able to practice and work with the band, we have made the absolute best time we could in the last two years, snatching rehearsals and recording time. But ultimately the band clicked, and we were able to put together an album that is both a progression and a statement of perpetual quality and undying cool,” says Harry Stafford.
Since reforming in 2007, they have released three albums while touring extensively around Europe, into Russia and as far away as North America and India. Renewed interest in the Incas was propelled by Cherry Red Records ‘Best of’ compilation release ‘Inca Babies 1983-87: Plutonium’. Sadly, in 2008, Bill Marten died and, despite the enormous loss, they decided to continue with Vince Hunt on bass.
On October 19, ‘Walk In The Part’ will be available digitally everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The ‘Swamp Street Soul’ album will be released on CD and digitally on November 23. It can be pre-ordered on CD or digitally via Bandcamp athttps://incababies1.bandcamp.com/album/swamp-street-soul To mark this release, the band will also play Westgarth Social Club, Middlesbrough on November 19 as part of the Peel Regenerated night, alongside 1919, The Wolfhounds, Rudi Betamax & TSTP. Advance tickets are available now at https://bit.ly/3p6ORAz
CREDITS
Harry Stafford – guitar, vocals
Vince Hunt – bass
Rob Haynes – drums
Kevin Davy – trumpet
Black Lagoon Records catalogue #BLRCD0058
Photography by Steve Nicholl
TRACK LIST
1. Swamp Street Soul
2. Walk in the Park
3. Slingshot
4. Dear English Journalists
5. Crawling Garage Gasoline
6. Bigger than all of us
7. I’m Grounded
8. Oh, the Angels how I bless them
9. Windshield Gnat
10. Mine of Bones
11. Swamp Soul Dub
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